Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1887-10-04
NEW c ANrIsAC TRIBES.
Discoveries Of Captain Van Gsie Along TN
Great Mobangi River.


Great Mobangi River.
Last fall the Congo State sent Captain
Van tsele. one of Stanley's favorite Off
GERS. in the steamer Henry Reed to
make further explorations upon the
Mobangi river the great norshern affiu-
ent of the Congo, whose Importance MIR.
Grenfell was the first to discover. Van
Gele did not ascend the river quite as
far as Grenfell, being prevented by
rapids through which Grenfell had been
able to push his steamer at low water
when the current was slower He,
however. took time to explore. while
GrcnfclIs journey was nothing more
than a hurried reconnaissance. Van
Gele made some very interesting dis
coveries. He found, for instance, three
little tributaries, up which he pushc
his steamer for total distance of 201
miles. 1t is only three years since
Stanley estimated that the Mobangi
itself added only about $50 miles to tho
navigable waters of the Congo basin.
Now the problem is. whether the Mo
bangi or the Kassai deserves distinction
as the Gongo's greatest tributary.
On the Nghri aflluent OF the river
and also on the Mobangi, about 300
miles from its mouth, Van Gele found
the most densely populated districts he
had seen in Africa The left bank of
the great river was IN uninterrupted
succession of villages for about seventy
miles. Those who imagine that the
depths of Africa are an almost yoicelcss
solitude should read Van Gcle's brief
account of the animation and hustle he
witnessed all along this populous river.
The scene on the river in the morn
ing, he says. is one of extraordinary
animation. lie often met as many as
three hundred canoes swiftly blowing
through the water. Tho canoes were
chiefly filed with women and children.
The women were leaving the villages
to go to the fields and begin the agri-
cultural labors of the day. Other par
ties in the canoes were setting out for
the fish nets, to gather in the iinny
harvest that had collected since the
previous day. The river swarms with
fish, the land yields rich returns of al
tropical produce, and thousands o.
natives along the river do not know
what famine means. They have, be
sides, food resources upon which mos
of the world can not count, rs thcs,
natives are among the greatest of can
nibals.
Quite number of men accompany
the women to the fields, but not to tax,
part in tilling the soil They let tn,
| women monopolize the rude iron hoes
| while the men stand around will
weapons in their hands to protect tn,
| toilers. without protection there i
always danger that the women will b.
surprised and dragged off by hostile
tribes.
All these river tribes send expedition
against one another for the sole pur
pose of procuring victims for their can
nibal feaSts. Captain Van Gele say
that all the enemies they kill in battl
are eaten, and that the same fate 500
ovcrtakes the prisoners they carry HON
with them. Before the exploration c
the Congo Valley the belief was wide
spread that cannibalism had great
/ decreased, and that there We're com
paratively few people who were sti
addicted to the horiid practice. In all hi
travels, Livingstone never saw n cam
bal tribe with the possible exception {
the Mauyema But the opening up {
the Congo basin has revealed the fai
that the world never knew before whei
cannibalism was most prevalent. Thel
are undoubtedly hundreds of thousand
of people in that region among whoi
cannibalism is u confirmed and mo-
cherished habit.
Captain Van Gele says that nowhei
in Africa has he seen fishers of equ;
extent except at Stanley Falls. III
stakes marking the position of the ne
; cover many acres. All these tribes Al
tall and powerful, and in form they al
. splendid specimens of physical beaut.
9 N T. sun.